– as country prepares to submit Voluntary National Review Report

THE Guyana Government is hosting another round of consultation on a Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the country’s progress in achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030.

The results of its efforts to attain the 17 SDGs would be presented during a High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) at the United Nations, Headquarters in July. HLPF is the UN’s central platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for the SDGs, and provides for the full and effective participation of all UN member states.

On Wednesday, the government held a stakeholder consultation for the Voluntary National Review (VNR) of progress on the 2030 SDG at the Guyana Forestry Commission Multiplex Building with the private sector, non-governmental organisations and civil society organisations. The high-level political forum, which would be held under the under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, will be held from July 9-18; however, a three-day ministerial meeting of the forum would commence on July 16.

Director of the Multilateral and Global Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Troy Torrington, said Guyana will be submitting its results on July 18. At the time, he was speaking to reporters in the company of Dr. Olney Daly, the Minister Counsellor – Permanent Mission of Guyana to the UN — on the sideline of the consultative forum.
Torrington said this is the first time Guyana will be submitting a progress report on the implementation on the SDGs that were adopted in 2015. At this stage, he said it is important to receive input from government and non-governmental entities on the 17 goals and their accompanying 169 targets that covers a wide cross-section of sectors.
It was noted that the stakeholder consultation on the Voluntary National Review of Progress 2019 builds on the widespread consultative process that informed the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS).

Based on reports, the director of Multilateral and Global Affairs Guyana has demonstrated strength in the area of the environment, noting that the forestry sector is a “strong performer”. He posited that Guyana is among global leaders in terms of Sustainable Forest Management. However, he admitted that there are challenges.

“One that is very common for Guyana and the Caribbean is in fact in relation to financing for development, the means of implementation,” Torrington said while underlining the importance of having greater access to concessionary resources.

“Leaving aside our windfall from our oil and gas sector, in pursuing a diversified economy, middle income countries have found it especially difficult to access those grants and softer loans, because as soon as your GDP rises, you enter into a dilemma where you no longer have a great access to concessionary resources so you have to borrow on harsher terms,” Torrington explained.

He posited that in the case of middle income countries, the rise of a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) does not translate to an eradication of challenges. Nonetheless, he said, in general, “Guyana is on a good trajectory”. He posited that there is strong political leadership and a commitment to achieving the SDGs.

Dr. Daly told reporters that the recently completed ‘Green State Development Fund’ (GSDS) is aligned with the SDGs: 2030, and as such, most of the data was captured during the consultative process.

Like Torrington, Dr. Daly underscored the importance of receiving support from the public and private sectors. “One of the important things about the review is that there should be that stakeholder buy-in, and the review should be country- led and country-owned,” the minister counsellor said.

She has been in Guyana for the past month engaging public sector officials and staff within ministries and their departments.

“I have been here almost a month, I have met with all of the ministries and the departments within the ministries, we have got their reports,” Dr. Daly posited.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals include: to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education; promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth; reduce inequality within and among countries; take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts; and promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development. The theme for the July 2019 High-Level UN Political Forum on Sustainable Development and this round of VNRs is “Empowering People and Ensuring Inclusiveness and Equality.”
It was noted that following the review in July, the global report would be presented in September 2019 to the General Assembly.